Former Republican State Senator Neal Tapio confirms he is “actively considering a run for US House.”

From Facebook:

Apparently former State Senator Neal Tapio has moved to the point where he is “actively considering” a return match against Dusty Johnson, and noting that the issues he’s concerned about are..

South Dakotans know we have an emergency with Somali gun violence and gang warfare in Sioux Falls, with a drug epidemic in our schools, with a high fatherless rate of our children, with an assault on our Christian culture, with the failure of our criminal justice system, with endless and pointless wars in Islamic extremist countries around the world, with an unfair trade imbalance with China and the rest of the world, with the bureaucratic management of the Black Hills, and with hopelessness on our reservations.

While Neal is talking about Somali gun violence and gang warfare in Sioux Falls, and “actively considering” a run, in-between votes in Congress, Dusty Johnson is back in state and actively campaigning as he’s walking parades, meeting people at fairs, and hitting the bricks pretty hard as an incumbent Congressman.

If Neal is going to be in the game, he’s probably going to need to do more than “actively considering.”

53 Replies to “Former Republican State Senator Neal Tapio confirms he is “actively considering a run for US House.””

  1. Anonymous

    Only a moron would “unconditionally support” a president. That about explains it, I guess.

    1. Anonymous

      If I were the Democrats I would ask Billie if he is able to run for Congress against Tapio.

      This is how GOP loses safe seats.

  2. Anonymous

    Fun upcoming primary season! Dusty trying to be be cute accusing the president of violating the constitution caused him a primary. Love it! Voting with Nancy and against America wasn’t so cute. Pipsqeek in an elevator now just seems pathetically geeky!!! Build the wall! USA! Flush Dusty!

  3. a friend of education

    At least NT admits he’s considering a run, unlike those who claimed they’d “never even thought about it” 25 min before taking the stage & launching a primary challenge. Detailed knowledge about Somali gangs I don’t claim, but the statistics are clear. Over the last 10 years, crime in Sioux Falls HAS increased. No doubt the baleful trend is connected to drug sales. And Tapio is correct about another thing: many perps are recent arrivals.

    But it rubs me wrong when Neal ignores the concerted efforts of Sioux Falls’ new mayor, the SFPD, & SD’s new attorney general, all of whom joined forces to counter the recent criminal surge. Arrests are up, convictions are up. We’re putting more bad guys away, keeping more dangerous felons off SD streets.

    As liberals point out: jailing so many dealers, gangsters, & other crooks drains the public coffer. Few convicts get rehabilitated. I agree; it’s not a sustainable, long-term solution. Nevertheless, our cops, detectives, and prosecutors do a good job under difficult circumstances. They deserve more credit.

    1. Neal Tapio

      Wow. Claiming my comments are critical of the new mayor is Sioux Falls is a massive stretch!

      The east side meeting of concerned Sioux Falls citizens talked about the dozens of shootings in Sioux Falls in the last few months.

      Gun violence is at unprecendted levels in Sioux Falls.

      Political correctness (and arcane juvenile justice laws) prevent any discussion of who are the actual perpetrators of this massive increase in crime in East Sioux Falls.

      It is important to tell the public more than just that there is an “uptick in violence.” They should know exactly who and why the violence is occurring. Why would the government and police keep the ethnicity and countries of origin of the shooters secret?

      Could it be pressure from certain interest groups?

      Not a single press report identified the culprits. The public has a right to know.

      These are eastern African juveniles, most often Somali, who are part of gangs with names like “guerilla boys” and other menacing sounding gangs.

      This story fits into a bigger picture.

      Lutheran Social Services claim the average refugee population is “safer than the general population.”

      This is an outright lie, perpetrated by Betty Oldencamp, President of Lutheran Social Services, and other Islamic friendly organizations.


      When South Dakota realizes they have been lied to, Establishment politicians like Dusty Johnson will be defeated.

      1. Neal

        It will be an uphill battle, no question Mr. Tapio. You may likely lose because most republicans, will prefer someone they consider safe. Someone who has to release statements saying he doesn’t support impeachment and that he votes they way of the president most of the time. The fact that he had to talk about his stance on impeachment and release his votes that support Trump clearly indicates people view him as a moderate. He doesn’t support the stoppage of the problem at the Southern border, if he did he would have vote YES! Oh and cool we have the same first name!!!

        1. enquirer

          mr. tapio, you seem to share something in common with great politicians like ted cruz and tom tancredo – i.e. you believe the urgency of your cause can carry your water, and that you don’t have to build bridges with the electorate that address your other shortcomings as a candidate. i remember in early 2016 as trump was looming in his gop bid, no less than rush limbaugh was the first top conservative to declare that the conservative darling ted cruz had no hope of winning a general election. why? because he ran too hard right toward christian conservatives too long in the primary run – he played his urgent issue too hard too long, and didn’t establish the rest of a necessary branding for public confidence. dusty didn’t invoke a voodoo spell or magic dust to beat you last time, he had years of a very public promoting of his ideas across a wide spectrum of important national subjects, which served to create a big common ground with the electorate. add to that his public service with the p-u-c and the daugaard administration, and a big urgent islamic terror issue plus one state senate term is barely a start. you have mucho work to do muchacho.

          1. tara volesky

            Tapio os not running for President, He’s running for SD that happens to be a Conservative state.

      2. Anonymous

        Their identities are kept hidden pursuant to applicable portions of SDCL 26. Get over it, you loon.

          1. Anonymous

            It protects identifying information. Do you believe the law must specifically call out nationality?

      3. Dave Z

        Neal, you need to move to NW Iowa to help your fellow soldier in the anti-immigrant wars, Steve King. Nothing like a little hate of those who are “different” to base at least part of your campaign. If you can get him over his likely primary challenger, heading his campaign in the general will be a much bigger feather in your tiny cap than the slam dunk that was a Trump win in SD (you really delivered, dude).

    2. Anonymous

      Tapio loses 70ish% to 30ish percent.

      30% of the primary electorate will not vote for Dusty.

      The real quesquestion: can Tapio get more than that? I seriously doubt it.

      Tapio should recruit someone else to run. He should fire up his base of supporters but he should not be the candidate. He must have served with someone else who could actually win or make it close.

      1. Anonymous

        A nasty primary challenge will fracture Dusty’s coalition making ability for future races for his entire political career.

        He would likely win but it would take its toll on voter perception. He would always be viewed with skepticism by an element of the party. What percent is yet to be determined.

        1. 26% and growing

          good analysis.. a primary challenge costs money also and Tapio did get 26% already in a 3 way race, it is natural he will get some of Shantel’s trump voters

  4. Anonymous

    Didn’t Tapio just disagree with the President about the budget? Does’t he also disagree with the President about red flag laws? Maybe the President is wrong about both, but it seems to me that Tapio is a hypocrite if he is proclaiming absolute loyalty to the President .

    And Tapio shouldn’t claim absolute loyalty to anyone. That is what Dusty has said all along. Dusty has done a good job representing South Dakota, and he will win by 20 points again if it is him vs. Tapio.

    1. tara volesky

      Tapio is not a hypocrite. Trump campaigned on the wall, less government and pro-guns. Tapio has always be consistent with Trumps pledges.

    1. Anonymous

      Dusty is, by any objective measure, one of the most conservative members of the US House.

      Tapio won’t vote differently, but he will be A LOT less effective in getting things done behind the scenes for South Dakota.

  5. Anonymous

    If Neal continues to trash Dusty, Shantel might get another shot at this.
    I’m putting my money on Orville Redenbacher.

    1. enquirer

      let’s start “deplorables for dusty,” as a home for conservatives who are finally tired of the tea party’s claim to be the only true republicans left.

  6. Anonymous

    What is it with wingnuts like this guy, Sibb, Hubblebubble etc , that makes them insist on writing in just incredibly bad run-on sentences?

      1. enquirer

        it’s a rapid city thing. it’s what stan adelstein called the local tea party during an election cycle a decade ago.

  7. Anonymous

    Dusty is a machine.

    He has a tested political team and is well-liked.

    The people who say Dusty isn’t popular said the same thing about Daugaard, who always got 90% approval rating within the SDGOP. Delusion.

    1. Anonymous

      When Saba learned Congressman Dusty Johnson voted to end Peace Corps funding in 2020 he couldn’t believe it.

      “So to see anybody from congress vote against the great concept of the Peace Corps is a shock, but to see our own congressman is really a shock,” Saba said. -KSFY

      Didn’t Dusty vote against securing our southern border which would’ve helped to keep drugs out of SD and young children from being sex trafficked? I think someone has a strong chance at beating Dusty, and that person could even be a Democrat. We voted to have DJ represent us in Washington (not in the primary), but we won’t do it again.

    2. Matthew Paulson

      Agree. Dusty is sharp and very politically savvy for being a freshman in Congress. I also think he’s also pretty well-liked (outside of the “you’re not conservative enough unless you’ve personally threatened Hillary Clinton” crowd). Hard to see Tapio being able to put up a serious primary fight against him.

  8. Lee Schoenbeck

    So all the murders on death row in South Dakota would tell us who Tapio thinks should be deported. Right? What’s he got against Germans and Norwegians from South Dakota?

    1. Anonymous

      Wouldn’t the Germans and Norwegians you speak of have ancestors who helped settle America? The refugees being moved into our communities are not assimilating and are threatening our children, destroying our property and stealing. How do I know? I live on the east side of SF and have a child and their friends who attend high school. We know the dangers, you obviously do not.

      Thanks for your concern though, we really appreciate you taking time to mock us. At least Neal is trying to tell the truth.

      1. mhs

        Pesky fact: a large portion of us Germans from Russia who settled in the Dakotas entered the US illegally via Canada, my Grandad included. Didn’t stop the nation from drafting him for WWI. Didn’t stop his Dreamer son from enlisting for WWII. Didn’t stop his granddaughter from working for President Reagan or Grandson for George Mickelson.

        Tapio and his ilk are trading hate and fear for votes. Sadly, nothing new in politics.

        1. Anonymous


          Link us to facts supporting your assertion the majority of German Russians came through Canada illegally?

  9. Anonymous

    The trouble with reporting on the “nationalities” of these juvenile offenders in Sioux Falls is that we would learn they are American citizens. They were born here. Their parents arrived 20-30 years ago and have never assimilated. The kids are trapped between two cultures and don’t fit in anywhere.
    As long as the parents still have refugee status and don’t apply for citizenship they get the full package of entitlements, subsidized housing, food stamps etc. They are being paid, in fact, to not assimilate. Their kids, though, being US citizens, are not going to have it so easy, and as soon as they turn 18 they are on their own. It’s an interesting problem. As usual, none of the people responsible for these refugee resettlement programs saw any of this coming,

  10. Mitch

    Facebook rhetoric is great an all, and provides good fodder. I like to look at facts.

    -Tapio is just a little over a year from a 3rd place finish, and seems to be running on the same material.
    -Johnson has to lose voters, while Tapio needs to build on the 24% he got. It’s a tough haul and statistically slim that he captures 100% of Shantel’s voters.
    -Tapio wants to run because we need strength to unconditionally support our President, yet Tapio is against the recent budget (Johnson voted no) and is against more gun restrictions proposed by the pres.
    -The marginal voting difference between Rep Johnson & Tapio is narrow.
    -Tapio has little name recognition, no army of volunteers and a fundraising apparatus that severely lacks in horsepower.
    -Tapio doesn’t get along & attacks his own party in SD, how do you expect him to get anything accomplished with Democrats & Republicans in D.C?

    1. Anonymous

      Yup. Reality will happen to Tapio and Borglum should they both run. They do not have that much support. Tapio is inviting at least a three-way primary. Borglum will be shot totally out of the water…too naïve to see it.